Marketing
E-Commerce Video: Everything You Need to Know to Drive Your Sales
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Cathy Carpetta
March 31, 2025
In e-commerce, video is a powerful tool to showcase your products, explain your services, and bring your brand story to life—while keeping customers engaged.
In this article, we’ll break down the video formats that turn visitors into buyers, highlight key trends in e-commerce video production (and how to spot the ones that are here to stay), and cover the basics of creating effective product videos without getting lost in post-production.
1. 6 tried-and-true favourite e-commerce video types
Think of your e-commerce videos as a toolkit—each type serves a specific purpose, and together they cover every step of the buyer’s journey.
Different formats engage viewers in different ways, depending on where they are in the decision process.
Here are some proven formats worth using:
1.1 Product demonstrations
Product demos tackle the key questions.
These simple, no-fluff videos show your product in action—every features and uses case included.
The goal? Highlight features and benefits in a way that leaves viewers thinking, “Where’s my credit card?”
1.2 Unboxing and haul videos
This is the e-commerce version of a product reveal. Unboxing videos focus on showcasing the packaging, highlighting the design choices—whether premium or minimal—and capturing the customer’s first reaction.
These videos are especially impactful when they come from influencers or everyday customers as user-generated content (UGC).
The authenticity of a real person’s experience builds trust and gives potential buyers a more relatable perspective.
That said, the video’s success still depends on the creator’s ability to convey genuine interest and energy.
1.3 Explainer videos
When your product is complex or unfamiliar—like a niche gadget or advanced software—explainer videos help bridge the gap.
Often using animation or a clear voiceover, these videos simplify detailed features or workflows into understandable steps.
The goal is to move viewers from confusion to clarity, making it easier for them to see the value and take action.
1.4 Testimonial videos
Few things are as convincing as your neighbour or your favourite influencer swearing up and down that your product is the next big thing.
Testimonial videos are a great way to grow your customer base, since they highlight real people sharing genuine experiences.
Or, if you’ve partnered with a known influencer, you get an extra layer of trust, because who doesn’t love hearing about someone else’s successful purchase?
1.6 Livestreaming
Livestreams are the digital version of a real-time Q&A.
Live video chat is personal and immediate. Customers ask questions on the spot, and you answer right there — no complicated back-and-forth emails.
It’s raw, it’s real, and if you do it well, it’s a goldmine for engagement.
2. E-Commerce video ads trends for 2025
Trends can be fickle. But some trends plant roots and stick around. Here’s a quick peek at what we expect to thrive — and what might quietly exit stage left.
2.1 Here to stay
Influencer Partnerships: Influencers come with built-in trust and a ready-made audience. No, not every YouTuber is a perfect fit, so choose carefully. But when done right, influencer marketing is unstoppable.
Shoppable Videos: Why send people chasing down a link to your website when they can click right there on the screen? Shoppable videos let viewers tap the product and drop it in their cart without skipping a beat.
Short-Form Content: TikTok, Reels, Shorts — if you can’t say it in 60 seconds, you’ll lose half your audience. Short videos aren’t going anywhere.
360 Spin Product Views: Offering a 360 spin of your product is like letting customers stroll around the item in a virtual showroom. The more angles you show, the fewer doubts your customers will have.
2.2 Likely to disappear
Long-Winded, Stiff Videos: Audiences now vibe with approachable, authentic content. Ten-minute corporate lectures on the molecular structure of your T-shirt fabric — not so appealing. Keep it relaxed; keep it real.
Low-Quality DIY Recordings: While phone cameras are better than ever, shaky footage with muffled sound just doesn’t cut it any more. Viewers expect clarity and crispness, even if your style is casual.
Overly Flashy Effects: Jump cuts, lens flares, and neon text swirling around the screen can distract from your main message. Enough with the visual confetti — it can be fun once in a while, but if it becomes your entire identity, your message gets lost in the kaleidoscope.
3. How to make a successful e-commerce video
Ready to create an e-commerce product video that doesn’t make people’s eyes glaze over? Let’s get to it.
3.1 Define clear objectives
Decide what your video should accomplish. Is it increasing brand visibility? Demonstrating a never-before-seen feature? Convincing viewers to hit “Add to Cart” immediately?
The entire production — script, angles, background music — should orbit around these goals.
3.2 Pick the right format
For a deeper brand story, go for a slightly longer narrative. If you need quick conversions for a flash sale, keep it short, direct, and impossible to ignore. Match your approach to the result you want.
3.3 Plan a script
Focus on clarity and personality, especially if you’re working with influencers. A little humour or quirky style keeps it from feeling like an awkward infomercial. If you’re too stiff, your audience might suspect your brand has no soul.
3.4 Pay attention to visuals and setting
Clean backgrounds, proper lighting, and minimal distractions let the product shine. That doesn’t mean you need a perfect set — just keep the visual focus on the star of the show: your product.
3.5 Record crisp audio
Use a decent microphone or at least film in a quiet environment. Your viewers should hear every word without having to crank up the volume or decipher noises.
3.6 Polish it in editing
Editing comes with a lot of challenges: from figuring out how to navigate modern software’s interfaces to learning how to edit AVI files, but it’s worth it. When done right, editing turns your footage into a visual beauty.
Trim out awkward pauses, fix colour imbalances, insert text overlays, and add relevant background tunes. A bit of post-production magic can transform a decent video into a showstopper.
3.7 Insert clear Calls-to-Action
You’ve got their attention; now tell them what to do next. Whether it’s “Click now,” “Sign up here,” or “Buy three, get one free,” make that CTA crystal clear. Remember: people like to be guided.
3.8 Optimise for multiple platforms
Vertical for TikTok and Instagram Reels; horizontal for YouTube (except Shorts) — your video’s orientation matters. Also, if a platform auto-loops short clips, snag attention with an eye-catching first second.
4. E-commerce video marketing strategies to drive sales
The greatest video in the world is useless if no one sees it. Let’s talk about practical marketing strategies to get your masterpiece out there — and deliver actual sales.
4.1 Work with influencers
If you’re aiming for serious brand exposure, find influencers whose style fits your vibe. Send them your package. They unbox it, show genuine excitement (hopefully), and share with their audience, who might just become your new customers.
4.2 Targeted ads
Sure, you can share your e-commerce video ads on every possible platform, or you can zero in on the folks who actually care. Facebook, Google, and even specialized networks let you narrow your audience by demographics or interests. This hyper-targeting can save you from blowing your entire budget on random viewers.
4.3 Live events and webinars
Host a live stream, take questions, showcase new products, and throw in a flash discount. That live interaction builds trust and immediacy.
Tip: Tease the event beforehand, so people remember to show up.
4.4 Partner up
If you sell organic teas, team up with a premium cookie brand. Release a co-branded video that shows a tea-and-cookie tasting session — double the audience, double the potential sales. Everybody loves a good collab (and cookies).
4.5 Don’t neglect SEO
You want your video popping up on Google and YouTube whenever someone searches for your product type.
Use descriptive filenames, relevant keywords in titles, and add transcripts or captions to improve SEO. That way, search engines know exactly what your content is about — and so does your potential audience.
E-commerce videos aren’t just a quirky addition to your marketing toolkit; they’re basically the spotlight shining on your best offerings. Show potential buyers exactly why they’ll love your product, in a way that’s both entertaining and informative.
Trends come and go, so focus on what truly resonates. Don’t forget to keep tabs on how your videos perform: if one approach doesn’t work, pivot to something else.
Ultimately, e-commerce videos give you the chance to let your brand’s personality shine while making the online shopping experience feel personal.
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